Bill Kampe

Pacific Grove, California

City Council News

Bill KampeSeptember 8, 2009:

Mayor Cort Resigns; New City Manager Named

On August 31, Mayor Cort resigned.  This resignation resulted from personal attacks from individuals who clearly showed they are not interested in the welfare of the city but only in their own agendas.

Fortunately, in the final days in office, the mayor along with the City Council were able to make progress in confirming our new city manager.  On September 2, the council approved Thomas Frutchey in that role.  Mr. Frutchey brings a strong and diverse background that will be a strong asset to Pacific Grove.

In the section below, I'm adding a simple blog as a means to share thoughts on current issues.  Please contact me at bill@billkampe.org if you have comments on any of these topics.

Comments on Current Topics

City Leadership Team now at Full Strength

Wednesday 10/07/09 | 4:07 PM

Tonight our City Council Meeting will see all positions filled. Much has happened over the past month. We have Carmelita Garcia as our mayor, me as mayor pro tempore, and two new council members, Ken Cuneo and Robert Huitt. And we now have our new city manager, Tom Frutchey. While I was disappointed to lose the coin toss for mayor, I am fully committed to support and work with this team for the benefit of our city.

Measure J - the Library Parcel Tax - is essential for Pacific Grove

Sunday 09/06/09 | 10:37 AM

Measure J proposes a $96 per year parcel tax on properties in Pacific Grove…slightly lower per unit for multi-unit properties. The proceeds for this special tax will go to operations and maintenance of our Library. After several years of reduced Library hours and services, and with even tighter budgets looming in the future, Measure J can assure an improved level of service from what we have today. I strongly support this measure. It is good for library users, of course. And it is good for every property owner, because a good library is known to improve property values. Please join me in supporting this measure.

Simplified Historic Review Process moves into trial period

Saturday 09/05/09 | 5:22 PM

On September 2, the council moved to initiate a trial process to save steps and cost for historic review of properties. The new process will allow a property owner to request a review by the Historic Resources Committee (HRC) even when there is no project application filed with the city. Further, the requirement for an expensive Phase 1 review has been eliminated as a standard requirement. A property owner may still invest in a Phase 1 review by a professional historical consultant on the city's list of consultant's if desired. And in some cases the HRC may still request the Phase 1 review if the historicity of the property is in doubt. In addition to saving costs and steps in most cases, the new process also allows a property owner to get a determination in advance of planning for a project. This advance determination can save substantial time and cost in the design of a project.

A Closing Thought

I believe the desire for a positive spirit is strong in PG.  I believe that we can find ways to work together.  I believe we can create the future we desire for ourselves and for our city. Yes we can!

Bill Kampe